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26 June 2011

Wedding at Bad Berleburg

On Saturday 18.06.2011 the little town of Bad Berleburg saw royal and noble guests from near and far for the religious Wedding of Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Alexander Johannsmann. The couple had already married in a civil Ceremony on 27.05.2010 and has a son Konstantin, born on 24.07.2010.

The festivities startedon the evenning of Friday 17.06. with a casual Barbecue for 230 guests. It tookplace in the Castle Parfty before the Orangerie. One of the cooks who prepared the Menue ws the cookof the danish Royal House Lisbeth Bager-Bertelsen. I was there with some other Royal Watchers and first one could see Princess Nathalie, Princess Benedikte and Prince Gustav in the Castle court walking around and discussing somethings. Also little Konstantin was driven around in his pram. Later also Prince Richard arrived in his Landrover. Atsomepoint Prince Richard, Princess Benedikte and Prince Gustav drove away to greet Queen Margrethe who arrived short afterwards in an helicopter on a lawan a little bit outsde. Soon litter the drove back to the Castle. Later most of the guests arrived some drove in their Cars into the Castle Court others arrived in buses and had to walk a little bit.

On Saturday i and some other Royal Watchers who got Press Accredition completted our Accredtion and then went fast to the Church to reserve a good place there. From time to time it rained a little bit but luckily only very short and not too heavy. The first guests at the Church arrived around 15h30 and with short before the bride the danish and greek Royals. And then the brides mother Princess Benedikte together with her son Prince Gzstav (who had earlier also accompanied his partner Carina Axelsson and his cousin Princess Alexia of Greece to the church), Finally the bride Princess Nathalie arrived together with her fater Prince Richard. The biride whore a gown of heavy ivory satin designed by the danish Designer Henrik Hviid with a lace top. Towards the End of the three meter long and two meter broad train the monogram of the bridalcouple was embroidedin pearl and crystals. She wore an Veil of irish lace from1 1905 who was a Wedding gift to her great-grandmother Crown Princess Margaretha of Sweden, née Princess of Connaught. It was later worn by her grandmother Queen Ingrid of Denmark, née Pricness of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II. of Denmark, Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, Princess Benedikte, Princess Alexia opfGreeeces, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Mary Donaldson. Also the tiara from Cartier was a gift to Crown Princess Margarethe of Sweden by the Khedive of Egypt in 1905. It was worn as bridal tiara by Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, Queen Margrethe II. of Denmark, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berlebrug and Princess Alexia of Greece and is now in the posession of Queen Anne-Marie.

The bride and her father walked over soaking wet red carpet the bride carrying her train and Veil over the Arm. Only at the Church Door the train and Veil where laid down and arranged. Now suddenly the bride realized that she had left her flower bouquet back in the Castle. Now soon someone was send back to the Castle and after around 10 min. waiting finally the her assistant came with the flowers. Now the bride and her father could make her way up the aisle. Short before the End of the Serive which lasted for around 50 mins. it started again to rain a little bit. The the bridal couple left the Church an kised short when outside of the church. Soon the made their way up to their waiting Car a Rolls Royce from 1954. They where followed by their parents and then Queen Margrethe Ii. and Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie Chantal, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana. Aftermost of the guest had left the church i soon went to the Castle where a reception was sheduled to take place soon. When i arrived at the Castle the bridal Couple and the danish and greek guests had already arrived there. Suddenly a sturm began it rained heavenly, hail was coming down and also ligthening and thunder. The sturmwent on around 30 mins. Most of the guests had to wait in busses before the entrance in the Castle Court. Some of them like Princess Christina of Sweden and her husband waited until the hail had stopped then the walked up to the Castle where the reception had been moved inside.

After some time the bridal Couple and some of the guests came out for the planned musical perfomance of the Schützenverein (tradtitional shooting club) who could take place after all with a bit dely. During the perfomance the grandmother of the groom came out on the balcony of the Castle and Queen margrethe II. was spotted in one of the windwos. In one of the other windows Queen Anne-Marie was spotted with some of her children and Prince Nikolaos took pics from the scenery in the court.

Later in the evening the Wedding banquet for 230 guests took place in a tent in the Castle Garden. After the dinner the bridal Couple opened the Ballw with the danish bridal Waltz which is danced at all danish royal Weddings.